An electrical switching device including an input connection land, an output connection land, and a connection member that is capable of switching between a closed position allowing an electric current to flow between the input and output connection lands and an open position preventing the flow of the current between the input and output connection lands. The electrical switching device includes an accelerometer that is capable of measuring a component of an acceleration of the switching device when switching the connection member between the closed and open positions and a control configured to estimate, on the basis of an acceleration measurement signal delivered by the accelerometer, a duration of switching of the connection member between the closed and open positions, and to determine wear on the switching device on the basis of the estimated switching duration.

An electricity meter includes at least one phase conductor and a neutral conductor, an internal cut-off device includes at least one phase cut-off member connected in series with the phase conductor, and at least one detector circuit for acting when the internal cut-off device is open to detect whether a circuit breaker of the installation is open or closed. The electricity meter includes coupling components connected, downstream from the internal cut-off device, to an injection conductor selected from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, and an injection component arranged to apply a reference voltage to the injection conductor via the coupling capacitor; and connection components connected to a measurement conductor selected from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, and a measurement component arranged to measure a measurement voltage across the terminals of one of the connection components, the measurement voltage being representative of an impedance of the installation.

A circuit breaker characteristic monitoring device monitors the operation of a circuit breaker to estimate the amount of consumption of a movable contact and fixed contacts included in the circuit breaker. The device includes an operating time measurement unit to measure at least one of closing time, which is the time required for the circuit breaker to be closed after starting a closing operation, and opening time, which is the time required for the circuit breaker to be open after starting an opening operation, and a contact consumption amount estimation unit to estimate the amount of consumption of the movable contact and the fixed contacts on the basis of the result of measurement performed by the operating time measurement unit and travel speed of the movable contact during the closing operation or the opening operation for which the measurement result is obtained.

The embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for determining the health status of a sensed switch. In general, the embodiments described herein determine a measure of a health status of the sensed switch by comparing a voltage on the sensed switch, ascertaining a first comparator state under one test condition and ascertaining a second comparator state under a second test condition. The first comparator state and the second comparator state are and then compared to determine the measure of the health status of the sensed switch.

A switch failure diagnosis device for using in a current path between an electric device and an electric storage device includes plural switches, a switch terminal voltage detector, and a controller. The switches are connected parallel to each other in the current path. The switch terminal voltage detector outputs a switch terminal voltage detection signal. The controller is configured to select the switches at different time in sequence and input an open instruction signal to each switch at the time when the switch is selected, and to determine, based on the switch terminal voltage detection signal output while the open instruction signal is given, that at least one of the switches has a failure if the detected voltage is in a failure determination range.

A method for separating welded contacts in a magnetically actuated switch assembly that includes providing multiple actuator hammer blows to the contacts. The method includes causing the contacts to close using, for example, a manual actuation device and detecting a high current condition that occurs when the contacts are closed. The method further includes electrically actuating the actuator to open the contacts in response to detecting the high current condition and determining that the contacts have not opened in response to the actuator being actuated because they are welded together. The method also includes electrically actuating the actuator to close the contacts when it is determined that they are welded together and again electrically actuating the actuator to open the contacts.

A weld detection apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and measures first and second voltages of a first capacitor. The first voltage is measured when the first capacitor is charged while connected in series to a power supply and a ground of a vehicle body while switches that connect the power supply to a load circuit are controlled to be in a first state. The second voltage is measured at a predetermined timing, when the first capacitor is charged while connected in series to the power supply and the ground of the vehicle body while the switches are controlled to be in a second state different from the first state. The apparatus performs a weld detection process to decide which of the switches is welded in an ON-state when a difference between the first and second voltages is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

A method for identifying the existence of a failure of a relay device in an electrical power supply system of a device to be supplied with power, the power supply system comprising at least one power generator configured to generate a power supply signal and a load comprising at least one relay device; the power generator comprising a frequency variator; each relay device comprising a quadripole and at least one antenna linked to the quadripole. The identification method comprises the following steps: a) selecting a characteristic frequency, b) determining the impedance of the load, then when the supply signal has the selected characteristic frequency, c) repeating steps a) and b) for several distinct characteristic frequencies, d) identifying the existence of a failure from several impedances determined for different characteristic frequencies.

The present invention provides a detecting method and a detecting apparatus for abnormal electrical connection in a main circuit of switchgear, wherein the detecting method comprises: acquiring a plurality of temperature rising values for measured areas of a plurality of electrical connectors in the main circuit of switchgear, the plurality of temperature rising values comprise a temperature rising value at a joint area of at least one of the electrical connectors; calculating a weighted average temperature of the plurality of temperature rising values; dividing each of the plurality of temperature rising values by the weighted average temperature to get normalized temperature rising values for the measured areas of the respective electrical connectors; comparing each of the normalized temperature rising values for the measured areas of the electrical connectors with a corresponding one of normalized threshold values for the measured areas of the respective electrical connectors. The detecting method of the present invention can accurately determine whether electrical connection of the measured areas of electrical connectors is abnormal under any electrical current.

Method and device for determining the absence of voltage in electrical equipment. An installed device is electrically connected to a power source. The installed device has circuitry capable of detecting voltage, performing self-diagnostics, and testing for connectivity to the power source. In one embodiment, the device can also check to see if the voltage is at a deenergized level, recheck for continuity and repeat the self-diagnostics. In another embodiment, the installed device can be electrically connected to the line and load side of a disconnect and have circuitry configured to check the status of the disconnect. In another embodiment, the device can be configured to communicate with a portable reader in order to transfer information to the portable reader. In yet another embodiment, the device can be configured to interact with a controller that controls access to the panel in which the device is installed.